(Job 1) There was once a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. That man was
blameless
and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. 2 There were born to him
seven
sons and three daughters. 3 He had seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels,
five hundred
yoke of oxen, five hundred donkeys, and very many servants; so that this man was the
greatest of
all the people of the east. 4 His sons used to go and hold feasts in one another's
houses in turn;
and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 And
when the feast
days had run their course, Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early
in the
morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, "It
may be
that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts." This is what Job always
did. 6 One
day the heavenly beings came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also
came
among them. 7 The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan
answered the
LORD, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it." 8 The
LORD
said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the
earth, a
blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil." 9 Then Satan
answered the
LORD, "Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 Have you not put a fence around him and
his house
and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his
possessions
have increased in the land. 11 But stretch out your hand now, and touch all that he has,
and he
will curse you to your face." 12 The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, all that he has is in
your
power; only do not stretch out your hand against him!" So Satan went out from the
presence of
the LORD. 13 One day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in
the eldest
brother's house, 14 a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and
the donkeys
were feeding beside them, 15 and the Sabeans fell on them and carried them off, and
killed the
servants with the edge of the sword; I alone have escaped to tell you." 16 While he was
still
speaking, another came and said, "The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the
sheep and
the servants, and consumed them; I alone have escaped to tell you." 17 While he was
still
speaking, another came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three columns, made a raid
on the
camels and carried them off, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; I alone
have
escaped to tell you." 18 While he was still speaking, another came and said, "Your
sons and
daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house, 19 and
suddenly a great
wind came across the desert, struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the
young people,
and they are dead; I alone have escaped to tell you." 20 Then Job arose, tore his robe,
shaved his
head, and fell on the ground and worshiped. 21 He said, "Naked I came from my
mother's womb,
and naked shall I return there; the LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed
be the
name of the LORD." 22 In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrongdoing.

(Job 2) One day the heavenly beings came to present themselves before the
LORD, and Satan
also came among them to present himself before the LORD. 2 The LORD said to
Satan, "Where
have you come from?" Satan answered the LORD, "From going to and fro on the earth,
and from
walking up and down on it." 3 The LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my
servant Job?
There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and
turns away
from evil. He still persists in his integrity, although you incited me against him, to
destroy him for
no reason." 4 Then Satan answered the LORD, "Skin for skin! All that people have they
will give
to save their lives. 5 But stretch out your hand now and touch his bone and his flesh,
and he will
curse you to your face." 6 The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, he is in your power;
only spare
his life." 7 So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD, and inflicted loathsome
sores on
Job from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 8 Job took a potsherd with which
to scrape
himself, and sat among the ashes. 9 Then his wife said to him, "Do you still persist in
your
integrity? Curse God, and die." 10 But he said to her, "You speak as any foolish woman
would
speak. Shall we receive the good at the hand of God, and not receive the bad?" In all
this Job did
not sin with his lips. 11 Now when Job's three friends heard of all these troubles that
had come
upon him, each of them set out from his home--Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the
Shuhite, and
Zophar the Naamathite. They met together to go and console and comfort him. 12
When they saw
him from a distance, they did not recognize him, and they raised their voices and wept
aloud; they
tore their robes and threw dust in the air upon their heads. 13 They sat with him on the
ground
seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his
suffering was
very great.

(Job 3) After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. 2 Job said:
3 "Let the
day perish in which I was born, and the night that said, 'A man-child is conceived.' 4 Let
that day
be darkness! May God above not seek it, or light shine on it. 5 Let gloom and deep
darkness
claim it. Let clouds settle upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it. 6 That night--let
thick
darkness seize it! let it not rejoice among the days of the year; let it not come into the
number of
the months. 7 Yes, let that night be barren; let no joyful cry be heard in it. 8 Let those
curse it
who curse the Sea, those who are skilled to rouse up Leviathan. 9 Let the stars of its
dawn be
dark; let it hope for light, but have none; may it not see the eyelids of the morning-- 10
because it
did not shut the doors of my mother's womb, and hide trouble from my eyes. 11 "Why
did I not
die at birth, come forth from the womb and expire? 12 Why were there knees to receive
me, or
breasts for me to suck? 13 Now I would be lying down and quiet; I would be asleep;
then I would
be at rest 14 with kings and counselors of the earth who rebuild ruins for themselves,
15 or with
princes who have gold, who fill their houses with silver. 16 Or why was I not buried like
a
stillborn child, like an infant that never sees the light? 17 There the wicked cease from
troubling,
and there the weary are at rest. 18 There the prisoners are at ease together; they do
not hear the
voice of the taskmaster. 19 The small and the great are there, and the slaves are free
from their
masters. 20 "Why is light given to one in misery, and life to the bitter in soul, 21 who
long for
death, but it does not come, and dig for it more than for hidden treasures; 22 who
rejoice
exceedingly, and are glad when they find the grave? 23 Why is light given to one who
cannot see
the way, whom God has fenced in? 24 For my sighing comes like my bread, and my
groanings are
poured out like water. 25 Truly the thing that I fear comes upon me, and what I dread
befalls me.
26 I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest; but trouble comes."

(Job 4) Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered: 2 "If one ventures a word with you,
will you be
offended? But who can keep from speaking? 3 See, you have instructed many; you
have
strengthened the weak hands. 4 Your words have supported those who were stumbling,
and you
have made firm the feeble knees. 5 But now it has come to you, and you are impatient;
it touches
you, and you are dismayed. 6 Is not your fear of God your confidence, and the integrity
of your
ways your hope? 7 "Think now, who that was innocent ever perished? Or where were
the upright
cut off? 8 As I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same. 9 By
the breath
of God they perish, and by the blast of his anger they are consumed. 10 The roar of the
lion, the
voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions are broken. 11 The strong lion
perishes
for lack of prey, and the whelps of the lioness are scattered. 12 "Now a word came
stealing to me,
my ear received the whisper of it. 13 Amid thoughts from visions of the night, when
deep sleep
falls on mortals, 14 dread came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones
shake. 15 A
spirit glided past my face; the hair of my flesh bristled. 16 It stood still, but I could not
discern its
appearance. A form was before my eyes; there was silence, then I heard a voice: 17
'Can mortals
be righteous before God? Can human beings be pure before their Maker? 18 Even in
his servants
he puts no trust, and his angels he charges with error; 19 how much more those who
live in
houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed like a moth. 20
Between
morning and evening they are destroyed; they perish forever without any regarding it.
21 Their
tent-cord is plucked up within them, and they die devoid of wisdom.'

(Job 5) "Call now; is there anyone who will answer you? To which of the holy ones
will you
turn? 2 Surely vexation kills the fool, and jealousy slays the simple. 3 I have seen fools
taking
root, but suddenly I cursed their dwelling. 4 Their children are far from safety, they are
crushed in
the gate, and there is no one to deliver them. 5 The hungry eat their harvest, and they
take it even
out of the thorns; and the thirsty pant after their wealth. 6 For misery does not come
from the
earth, nor does trouble sprout from the ground; 7 but human beings are born to trouble
just as
sparks fly upward. 8 "As for me, I would seek God, and to God I would commit my
cause. 9 He
does great things and unsearchable, marvelous things without number. 10 He gives
rain on the
earth and sends waters on the fields; 11 he sets on high those who are lowly, and
those who
mourn are lifted to safety. 12 He frustrates the devices of the crafty, so that their hands
achieve no
success. 13 He takes the wise in their own craftiness; and the schemes of the wily are
brought to a
quick end. 14 They meet with darkness in the daytime, and grope at noonday as in the
night. 15
But he saves the needy from the sword of their mouth, from the hand of the mighty. 16
So the
poor have hope, and injustice shuts its mouth. 17 "How happy is the one whom God
reproves;
therefore do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. 18 For he wounds, but he binds
up; he
strikes, but his hands heal. 19 He will deliver you from six troubles; in seven no harm
shall touch
you. 20 In famine he will redeem you from death, and in war from the power of the
sword. 21
You shall be hidden from the scourge of the tongue, and shall not fear destruction
when it comes.
22 At destruction and famine you shall laugh, and shall not fear the wild animals of the
earth. 23
For you shall be in league with the stones of the field, and the wild animals shall be at
peace with
you. 24 You shall know that your tent is safe, you shall inspect your fold and miss
nothing. 25
You shall know that your descendants will be many, and your offspring like the grass of
the earth.
26 You shall come to your grave in ripe old age, as a shock of grain comes up to the
threshing
floor in its season. 27 See, we have searched this out; it is true. Hear, and know it for
yourself."

(Job 6) Then Job answered: 2 "O that my vexation were weighed, and all my
calamity laid in
the balances! 3 For then it would be heavier than the sand of the sea; therefore my
words have
been rash. 4 For the arrows of the Almighty are in me; my spirit drinks their poison; the
terrors of
God are arrayed against me. 5 Does the wild ass bray over its grass, or the ox low over
its
fodder? 6 Can that which is tasteless be eaten without salt, or is there any flavor in the
juice of
mallows? 7 My appetite refuses to touch them; they are like food that is loathsome to
me. 8 "O
that I might have my request, and that God would grant my desire; 9 that it would
please God to
crush me, that he would let loose his hand and cut me off! 10 This would be my
consolation; I
would even exult in unrelenting pain; for I have not denied the words of the Holy One.
11 What is
my strength, that I should wait? And what is my end, that I should be patient? 12 Is my
strength
the strength of stones, or is my flesh bronze? 13 In truth I have no help in me, and any
resource is
driven from me. 14 "Those who withhold kindness from a friend forsake the fear of the
Almighty.
15 My companions are treacherous like a torrent-bed, like freshets that pass away, 16
that run
dark with ice, turbid with melting snow. 17 In time of heat they disappear; when it is hot,
they
vanish from their place. 18 The caravans turn aside from their course; they go up into
the waste,
and perish. 19 The caravans of Tema look, the travelers of Sheba hope. 20 They are
disappointed
because they were confident; they come there and are confounded. 21 Such you have
now
become to me; you see my calamity, and are afraid. 22 Have I said, 'Make me a gift'?
Or, 'From
your wealth offer a bribe for me'? 23 Or, 'Save me from an opponent's hand'? Or,
'Ransom me
from the hand of oppressors'? 24 "Teach me, and I will be silent; make me understand
how I have
gone wrong. 25 How forceful are honest words! But your reproof, what does it reprove?
26 Do
you think that you can reprove words, as if the speech of the desperate were wind? 27
You would
even cast lots over the orphan, and bargain over your friend. 28 "But now, be pleased
to look at
me; for I will not lie to your face. 29 Turn, I pray, let no wrong be done. Turn now, my
vindication is at stake. 30 Is there any wrong on my tongue? Cannot my taste discern
calamity?

(Job 7) "Do not human beings have a hard service on earth, and are not their days
like the
days of a laborer? 2 Like a slave who longs for the shadow, and like laborers who look
for their
wages, 3 so I am allotted months of emptiness, and nights of misery are apportioned to
me. 4
When I lie down I say, 'When shall I rise?' But the night is long, and I am full of tossing
until
dawn. 5 My flesh is clothed with worms and dirt; my skin hardens, then breaks out
again. 6 My
days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and come to their end without hope. 7
"Remember that
my life is a breath; my eye will never again see good. 8 The eye that beholds me will
see me no
more; while your eyes are upon me, I shall be gone. 9 As the cloud fades and vanishes,
so those
who go down to Sheol do not come up; 10 they return no more to their houses, nor do
their
places know them any more. 11 "Therefore I will not restrain my mouth; I will speak in
the
anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. 12 Am I the Sea, or the
Dragon,
that you set a guard over me? 13 When I say, 'My bed will comfort me, my couch will
ease my
complaint,' 14 then you scare me with dreams and terrify me with visions, 15 so that I
would
choose strangling and death rather than this body. 16 I loathe my life; I would not live
forever.
Let me alone, for my days are a breath. 17 What are human beings, that you make so
much of
them, that you set your mind on them, 18 visit them every morning, test them every
moment? 19
Will you not look away from me for a while, let me alone until I swallow my spittle? 20 If
I sin,
what do I do to you, you watcher of humanity? Why have you made me your target?
Why have I
become a burden to you? 21 Why do you not pardon my transgression and take away
my iniquity?
For now I shall lie in the earth; you will seek me, but I shall not be."

(Job 8) Then Bildad the Shuhite answered: 2 "How long will you say these things,
and the
words of your mouth be a great wind? 3 Does God pervert justice? Or does the
Almighty pervert
the right? 4 If your children sinned against him, he delivered them into the power of
their
transgression. 5 If you will seek God and make supplication to the Almighty, 6 if you are
pure and
upright, surely then he will rouse himself for you and restore to you your rightful place.
7 Though
your beginning was small, your latter days will be very great. 8 "For inquire now of
bygone
generations, and consider what their ancestors have found; 9 for we are but of
yesterday, and we
know nothing, for our days on earth are but a shadow. 10 Will they not teach you and
tell you and
utter words out of their understanding? 11 "Can papyrus grow where there is no
marsh? Can
reeds flourish where there is no water? 12 While yet in flower and not cut down, they
wither
before any other plant. 13 Such are the paths of all who forget God; the hope of the
godless shall
perish. 14 Their confidence is gossamer, a spider's house their trust. 15 If one leans
against its
house, it will not stand; if one lays hold of it, it will not endure. 16 The wicked thrive
before the
sun, and their shoots spread over the garden. 17 Their roots twine around the
stoneheap; they live
among the rocks. 18 If they are destroyed from their place, then it will deny them,
saying, 'I have
never seen you.' 19 See, these are their happy ways, and out of the earth still others
will spring. 20
"See, God will not reject a blameless person, nor take the hand of evildoers. 21 He will
yet fill
your mouth with laughter, and your lips with shouts of joy. 22 Those who hate you will
be
clothed with shame, and the tent of the wicked will be no more."

(Job 9) Then Job answered: 2 "Indeed I know that this is so; but how can a mortal
be just
before God? 3 If one wished to contend with him, one could not answer him once in a
thousand. 4
He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength --who has resisted him, and succeeded?-- 5
he who
removes mountains, and they do not know it, when he overturns them in his anger; 6
who shakes
the earth out of its place, and its pillars tremble; 7 who commands the sun, and it does
not rise;
who seals up the stars; 8 who alone stretched out the heavens and trampled the waves
of the Sea;
9 who made the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the chambers of the south; 10 who
does great
things beyond understanding, and marvelous things without number. 11 Look, he
passes by me,
and I do not see him; he moves on, but I do not perceive him. 12 He snatches away;
who can stop
him? Who will say to him, 'What are you doing?' 13 "God will not turn back his anger;
the helpers
of Rahab bowed beneath him. 14 How then can I answer him, choosing my words with
him? 15
Though I am innocent, I cannot answer him; I must appeal for mercy to my accuser. 16
If I
summoned him and he answered me, I do not believe that he would listen to my voice.
17 For he
crushes me with a tempest, and multiplies my wounds without cause; 18 he will not let
me get my
breath, but fills me with bitterness. 19 If it is a contest of strength, he is the strong one!
If it is a
matter of justice, who can summon him? 20 Though I am innocent, my own mouth
would
condemn me; though I am blameless, he would prove me perverse. 21 I am blameless;
I do not
know myself; I loathe my life. 22 It is all one; therefore I say, he destroys both the
blameless and
the wicked. 23 When disaster brings sudden death, he mocks at the calamity of the
innocent. 24
The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; he covers the eyes of its judges-- if it is
not he,
who then is it? 25 "My days are swifter than a runner; they flee away, they see no good.
26 They
go by like skiffs of reed, like an eagle swooping on the prey. 27 If I say, 'I will forget my
complaint; I will put off my sad countenance and be of good cheer,' 28 I become afraid
of all my
suffering, for I know you will not hold me innocent. 29 I shall be condemned; why then
do I labor
in vain? 30 If I wash myself with soap and cleanse my hands with lye, 31 yet you will
plunge me
into filth, and my own clothes will abhor me. 32 For he is not a mortal, as I am, that I
might
answer him, that we should come to trial together. 33 There is no umpire between us,
who might
lay his hand on us both. 34 If he would take his rod away from me, and not let dread of
him terrify
me, 35 then I would speak without fear of him, for I know I am not what I am thought to
be.

(Job 10) "I loathe my life; I will give free utterance to my complaint; I will speak in
the
bitterness of my soul. 2 I will say to God, Do not condemn me; let me know why you
contend
against me. 3 Does it seem good to you to oppress, to despise the work of your hands
and favor
the schemes of the wicked? 4 Do you have eyes of flesh? Do you see as humans see?
5 Are your
days like the days of mortals, or your years like human years, 6 that you seek out my
iniquity and
search for my sin, 7 although you know that I am not guilty, and there is no one to
deliver out of
your hand? 8 Your hands fashioned and made me; and now you turn and destroy me. 9
Remember
that you fashioned me like clay; and will you turn me to dust again? 10 Did you not pour
me out
like milk and curdle me like cheese? 11 You clothed me with skin and flesh, and knit
me together
with bones and sinews. 12 You have granted me life and steadfast love, and your care
has
preserved my spirit. 13 Yet these things you hid in your heart; I know that this was your
purpose.
14 If I sin, you watch me, and do not acquit me of my iniquity. 15 If I am wicked, woe to
me! If I
am righteous, I cannot lift up my head, for I am filled with disgrace and look upon my
affliction.
16 Bold as a lion you hunt me; you repeat your exploits against me. 17 You renew your
witnesses
against me, and increase your vexation toward me; you bring fresh troops against me.
18 "Why
did you bring me forth from the womb? Would that I had died before any eye had seen
me, 19 and
were as though I had not been, carried from the womb to the grave. 20 Are not the days
of my life
few? Let me alone, that I may find a little comfort 21 before I go, never to return, to the
land of
gloom and deep darkness, 22 the land of gloom and chaos, where light is like
darkness."

(Job 11) Then Zophar the Naamathite answered: 2 "Should a multitude of words
go
unanswered, and should one full of talk be vindicated? 3 Should your babble put others
to silence,
and when you mock, shall no one shame you? 4 For you say, 'My conduct is pure, and I
am clean
in God's sight.' 5 But oh, that God would speak, and open his lips to you, 6 and that he
would tell
you the secrets of wisdom! For wisdom is many-sided. Know then that God exacts of
you less
than your guilt deserves. 7 "Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out
the limit
of the Almighty? 8 It is higher than heaven--what can you do? Deeper than Sheol--what
can you
know? 9 Its measure is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea. 10 If he
passes through,
and imprisons, and assembles for judgment, who can hinder him? 11 For he knows
those who are
worthless; when he sees iniquity, will he not consider it? 12 But a stupid person will get
understanding, when a wild ass is born human. 13 "If you direct your heart rightly, you
will
stretch out your hands toward him. 14 If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away, and do
not let
wickedness reside in your tents. 15 Surely then you will lift up your face without
blemish; you will
be secure, and will not fear. 16 You will forget your misery; you will remember it as
waters that
have passed away. 17 And your life will be brighter than the noonday; its darkness will
be like the
morning. 18 And you will have confidence, because there is hope; you will be protected
and take
your rest in safety. 19 You will lie down, and no one will make you afraid; many will
entreat your
favor. 20 But the eyes of the wicked will fail; all way of escape will be lost to them, and
their hope
is to breathe their last."

(Job 12) Then Job answered: 2 "No doubt you are the people, and wisdom will die
with you.
3 But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know
such
things as these? 4 I am a laughingstock to my friends; I, who called upon God and he
answered
me, a just and blameless man, I am a laughingstock. 5 Those at ease have contempt
for
misfortune, but it is ready for those whose feet are unstable. 6 The tents of robbers are
at peace,
and those who provoke God are secure, who bring their god in their hands. 7 "But ask
the
animals, and they will teach you; the birds of the air, and they will tell you; 8 ask the
plants of the
earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. 9 Who among
all these
does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? 10 In his hand is the life of
every living
thing and the breath of every human being. 11 Does not the ear test words as the
palate tastes
food? 12 Is wisdom with the aged, and understanding in length of days? 13 "With God
are
wisdom and strength; he has counsel and understanding. 14 If he tears down, no one
can rebuild;
if he shuts someone in, no one can open up. 15 If he withholds the waters, they dry up;
if he sends
them out, they overwhelm the land. 16 With him are strength and wisdom; the deceived
and the
deceiver are his. 17 He leads counselors away stripped, and makes fools of judges. 18
He looses
the sash of kings, and binds a waistcloth on their loins. 19 He leads priests away
stripped, and
overthrows the mighty. 20 He deprives of speech those who are trusted, and takes
away the
discernment of the elders. 21 He pours contempt on princes, and looses the belt of the
strong. 22
He uncovers the deeps out of darkness, and brings deep darkness to light. 23 He
makes nations
great, then destroys them; he enlarges nations, then leads them away. 24 He strips
understanding
from the leaders of the earth, and makes them wander in a pathless waste. 25 They
grope in the
dark without light; he makes them stagger like a drunkard.

(Job 13) "Look, my eye has seen all this, my ear has heard and understood it. 2
What you
know, I also know; I am not inferior to you. 3 But I would speak to the Almighty, and I
desire to
argue my case with God. 4 As for you, you whitewash with lies; all of you are worthless
physicians. 5 If you would only keep silent, that would be your wisdom! 6 Hear now my
reasoning, and listen to the pleadings of my lips. 7 Will you speak falsely for God, and
speak
deceitfully for him? 8 Will you show partiality toward him, will you plead the case for
God? 9 Will
it be well with you when he searches you out? Or can you deceive him, as one person
deceives
another? 10 He will surely rebuke you if in secret you show partiality. 11 Will not his
majesty
terrify you, and the dread of him fall upon you? 12 Your maxims are proverbs of ashes,
your
defenses are defenses of clay. 13 "Let me have silence, and I will speak, and let come
on me what
may. 14 I will take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in my hand. 15 See, he will kill
me; I have
no hope; but I will defend my ways to his face. 16 This will be my salvation, that the
godless shall
not come before him. 17 Listen carefully to my words, and let my declaration be in your
ears. 18 I
have indeed prepared my case; I know that I shall be vindicated. 19 Who is there that
will contend
with me? For then I would be silent and die. 20 Only grant two things to me, then I will
not hide
myself from your face: 21 withdraw your hand far from me, and do not let dread of you
terrify
me. 22 Then call, and I will answer; or let me speak, and you reply to me. 23 How many
are my
iniquities and my sins? Make me know my transgression and my sin. 24 Why do you
hide your
face, and count me as your enemy? 25 Will you frighten a windblown leaf and pursue
dry chaff?
26 For you write bitter things against me, and make me reap the iniquities of my youth.
27 You
put my feet in the stocks, and watch all my paths; you set a bound to the soles of my
feet. 28 One
wastes away like a rotten thing, like a garment that is moth-eaten.

(Job 14) "A mortal, born of woman, few of days and full of trouble, 2 comes up like
a flower
and withers, flees like a shadow and does not last. 3 Do you fix your eyes on such a
one? Do you
bring me into judgment with you? 4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? No
one can. 5
Since their days are determined, and the number of their months is known to you, and
you have
appointed the bounds that they cannot pass, 6 look away from them, and desist, that
they may
enjoy, like laborers, their days. 7 "For there is hope for a tree, if it is cut down, that it will
sprout
again, and that its shoots will not cease. 8 Though its root grows old in the earth, and
its stump
dies in the ground, 9 yet at the scent of water it will bud and put forth branches like a
young plant.
10 But mortals die, and are laid low; humans expire, and where are they? 11 As waters
fail from a
lake, and a river wastes away and dries up, 12 so mortals lie down and do not rise
again; until the
heavens are no more, they will not awake or be roused out of their sleep. 13 Oh that
you would
hide me in Sheol, that you would conceal me until your wrath is past, that you would
appoint me
a set time, and remember me! 14 If mortals die, will they live again? All the days of my
service I
would wait until my release should come. 15 You would call, and I would answer you;
you would
long for the work of your hands. 16 For then you would not number my steps, you
would not
keep watch over my sin; 17 my transgression would be sealed up in a bag, and you
would cover
over my iniquity. 18 "But the mountain falls and crumbles away, and the rock is
removed from its
place; 19 the waters wear away the stones; the torrents wash away the soil of the earth;
so you
destroy the hope of mortals. 20 You prevail forever against them, and they pass away;
you change
their countenance, and send them away. 21 Their children come to honor, and they do
not know
it; they are brought low, and it goes unnoticed. 22 They feel only the pain of their own
bodies,
and mourn only for themselves."

(Job 15) Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered: 2 "Should the wise answer with
windy
knowledge, and fill themselves with the east wind? 3 Should they argue in unprofitable
talk, or in
words with which they can do no good? 4 But you are doing away with the fear of God,
and
hindering meditation before God. 5 For your iniquity teaches your mouth, and you
choose the
tongue of the crafty. 6 Your own mouth condemns you, and not I; your own lips testify
against
you. 7 "Are you the firstborn of the human race? Were you brought forth before the
hills? 8 Have
you listened in the council of God? And do you limit wisdom to yourself? 9 What do you
know
that we do not know? What do you understand that is not clear to us? 10 The
gray-haired and the
aged are on our side, those older than your father. 11 Are the consolations of God too
small for
you, or the word that deals gently with you? 12 Why does your heart carry you away,
and why do
your eyes flash, 13 so that you turn your spirit against God, and let such words go out
of your
mouth? 14 What are mortals, that they can be clean? Or those born of woman, that
they can be
righteous? 15 God puts no trust even in his holy ones, and the heavens are not clean
in his sight;
16 how much less one who is abominable and corrupt, one who drinks iniquity like
water! 17 "I
will show you; listen to me; what I have seen I will declare-- 18 what sages have told,
and their
ancestors have not hidden, 19 to whom alone the land was given, and no stranger
passed among
them. 20 The wicked writhe in pain all their days, through all the years that are laid up
for the
ruthless. 21 Terrifying sounds are in their ears; in prosperity the destroyer will come
upon them.
22 They despair of returning from darkness, and they are destined for the sword. 23
They wander
abroad for bread, saying, 'Where is it?' They know that a day of darkness is ready at
hand; 24
distress and anguish terrify them; they prevail against them, like a king prepared for
battle. 25
Because they stretched out their hands against God, and bid defiance to the Almighty,
26 running
stubbornly against him with a thick-bossed shield; 27 because they have covered their
faces with
their fat, and gathered fat upon their loins, 28 they will live in desolate cities, in houses
that no
one should inhabit, houses destined to become heaps of ruins; 29 they will not be rich,
and their
wealth will not endure, nor will they strike root in the earth; 30 they will not escape from
darkness; the flame will dry up their shoots, and their blossom will be swept away by
the wind. 31
Let them not trust in emptiness, deceiving themselves; for emptiness will be their
recompense. 32
It will be paid in full before their time, and their branch will not be green. 33 They will
shake off
their unripe grape, like the vine, and cast off their blossoms, like the olive tree. 34 For
the
company of the godless is barren, and fire consumes the tents of bribery. 35 They
conceive
mischief and bring forth evil and their heart prepares deceit."

(Job 16) Then Job answered: 2 "I have heard many such things; miserable
comforters are you
all. 3 Have windy words no limit? Or what provokes you that you keep on talking? 4 I
also could
talk as you do, if you were in my place; I could join words together against you, and
shake my
head at you. 5 I could encourage you with my mouth, and the solace of my lips would
assuage
your pain. 6 "If I speak, my pain is not assuaged, and if I forbear, how much of it leaves
me? 7
Surely now God has worn me out; he has made desolate all my company. 8 And he has
shriveled
me up, which is a witness against me; my leanness has risen up against me, and it
testifies to my
face. 9 He has torn me in his wrath, and hated me; he has gnashed his teeth at me; my
adversary
sharpens his eyes against me. 10 They have gaped at me with their mouths; they have
struck me
insolently on the cheek; they mass themselves together against me. 11 God gives me
up to the
ungodly, and casts me into the hands of the wicked. 12 I was at ease, and he broke me
in two; he
seized me by the neck and dashed me to pieces; he set me up as his target; 13 his
archers surround
me. He slashes open my kidneys, and shows no mercy; he pours out my gall on the
ground. 14 He
bursts upon me again and again; he rushes at me like a warrior. 15 I have sewed
sackcloth upon
my skin, and have laid my strength in the dust. 16 My face is red with weeping, and
deep darkness
is on my eyelids, 17 though there is no violence in my hands, and my prayer is pure. 18
"O earth,
do not cover my blood; let my outcry find no resting place. 19 Even now, in fact, my
witness is in
heaven, and he that vouches for me is on high. 20 My friends scorn me; my eye pours
out tears to
God, 21 that he would maintain the right of a mortal with God, as one does for a
neighbor. 22 For
when a few years have come, I shall go the way from which I shall not return.

(Job 17) My spirit is broken, my days are extinct, the grave is ready for me. 2
Surely there
are mockers around me, and my eye dwells on their provocation. 3 "Lay down a pledge
for me
with yourself; who is there that will give surety for me? 4 Since you have closed their
minds to
understanding, therefore you will not let them triumph. 5 Those who denounce friends
for
reward-- the eyes of their children will fail. 6 "He has made me a byword of the peoples,
and I am
one before whom people spit. 7 My eye has grown dim from grief, and all my members
are like a
shadow. 8 The upright are appalled at this, and the innocent stir themselves up against
the
godless. 9 Yet the righteous hold to their way, and they that have clean hands grow
stronger and
stronger. 10 But you, come back now, all of you, and I shall not find a sensible person
among
you. 11 My days are past, my plans are broken off, the desires of my heart. 12 They
make night
into day; 'The light,' they say, 'is near to the darkness.' 13 If I look for Sheol as my
house, if I
spread my couch in darkness, 14 if I say to the Pit, 'You are my father,' and to the
worm, 'My
mother,' or 'My sister,' 15 where then is my hope? Who will see my hope? 16 Will it go
down to
the bars of Sheol? Shall we descend together into the dust?"

(Job 18) Then Bildad the Shuhite answered: 2 "How long will you hunt for words?
Consider,
and then we shall speak. 3 Why are we counted as cattle? Why are we stupid in your
sight? 4 You
who tear yourself in your anger-- shall the earth be forsaken because of you, or the
rock be
removed out of its place? 5 "Surely the light of the wicked is put out, and the flame of
their fire
does not shine. 6 The light is dark in their tent, and the lamp above them is put out. 7
Their strong
steps are shortened, and their own schemes throw them down. 8 For they are thrust
into a net by
their own feet, and they walk into a pitfall. 9 A trap seizes them by the heel; a snare
lays hold of
them. 10 A rope is hid for them in the ground, a trap for them in the path. 11 Terrors
frighten
them on every side, and chase them at their heels. 12 Their strength is consumed by
hunger, and
calamity is ready for their stumbling. 13 By disease their skin is consumed, the firstborn
of Death
consumes their limbs. 14 They are torn from the tent in which they trusted, and are
brought to the
king of terrors. 15 In their tents nothing remains; sulfur is scattered upon their
habitations. 16
Their roots dry up beneath, and their branches wither above. 17 Their memory perishes
from the
earth, and they have no name in the street. 18 They are thrust from light into darkness,
and driven
out of the world. 19 They have no offspring or descendant among their people, and no
survivor
where they used to live. 20 They of the west are appalled at their fate, and horror
seizes those of
the east. 21 Surely such are the dwellings of the ungodly, such is the place of those
who do not
know God."

(Job 19) Then Job answered: 2 "How long will you torment me, and break me in
pieces with
words? 3 These ten times you have cast reproach upon me; are you not ashamed to
wrong me? 4
And even if it is true that I have erred, my error remains with me. 5 If indeed you
magnify
yourselves against me, and make my humiliation an argument against me, 6 know then
that God
has put me in the wrong, and closed his net around me. 7 Even when I cry out,
'Violence!' I am
not answered; I call aloud, but there is no justice. 8 He has walled up my way so that I
cannot
pass, and he has set darkness upon my paths. 9 He has stripped my glory from me,
and taken the
crown from my head. 10 He breaks me down on every side, and I am gone, he has
uprooted my
hope like a tree. 11 He has kindled his wrath against me, and counts me as his
adversary. 12 His
troops come on together; they have thrown up siegeworks against me, and encamp
around my
tent. 13 "He has put my family far from me, and my acquaintances are wholly estranged
from me.
14 My relatives and my close friends have failed me; 15 the guests in my house have
forgotten
me; my serving girls count me as a stranger; I have become an alien in their eyes. 16 I
call to my
servant, but he gives me no answer; I must myself plead with him. 17 My breath is
repulsive to my
wife; I am loathsome to my own family. 18 Even young children despise me; when I
rise, they talk
against me. 19 All my intimate friends abhor me, and those whom I loved have turned
against me.
20 My bones cling to my skin and to my flesh, and I have escaped by the skin of my
teeth. 21
Have pity on me, have pity on me, O you my friends, for the hand of God has touched
me! 22
Why do you, like God, pursue me, never satisfied with my flesh? 23 "O that my words
were
written down! O that they were inscribed in a book! 24 O that with an iron pen and with
lead they
were engraved on a rock forever! 25 For I know that my Redeemer lives, and that at the
last he
will stand upon the earth; 26 and after my skin has been thus destroyed, then in my
flesh I shall
see God, 27 whom I shall see on my side, and my eyes shall behold, and not another.
My heart
faints within me! 28 If you say, 'How we will persecute him!' and, 'The root of the matter
is found
in him'; 29 be afraid of the sword, for wrath brings the punishment of the sword, so that
you may
know there is a judgment."

(Job 20) Then Zophar the Naamathite answered: 2 "Pay attention! My thoughts
urge me to
answer, because of the agitation within me. 3 I hear censure that insults me, and a
spirit beyond
my understanding answers me. 4 Do you not know this from of old, ever since mortals
were
placed on earth, 5 that the exulting of the wicked is short, and the joy of the godless is
but for a
moment? 6 Even though they mount up high as the heavens, and their head reaches to
the clouds,
7 they will perish forever like their own dung; those who have seen them will say,
'Where are
they?' 8 They will fly away like a dream, and not be found; they will be chased away like
a vision
of the night. 9 The eye that saw them will see them no more, nor will their place behold
them any
longer. 10 Their children will seek the favor of the poor, and their hands will give back
their
wealth. 11 Their bodies, once full of youth, will lie down in the dust with them. 12
"Though
wickedness is sweet in their mouth, though they hide it under their tongues, 13 though
they are
loath to let it go, and hold it in their mouths, 14 yet their food is turned in their
stomachs; it is the
venom of asps within them. 15 They swallow down riches and vomit them up again;
God casts
them out of their bellies. 16 They will suck the poison of asps; the tongue of a viper will
kill them.
17 They will not look on the rivers, the streams flowing with honey and curds. 18 They
will give
back the fruit of their toil, and will not swallow it down; from the profit of their trading
they will
get no enjoyment. 19 For they have crushed and abandoned the poor, they have
seized a house
that they did not build. 20 "They knew no quiet in their bellies; in their greed they let
nothing
escape. 21 There was nothing left after they had eaten; therefore their prosperity will
not endure.
22 In full sufficiency they will be in distress; all the force of misery will come upon them.
23 To
fill their belly to the full God will send his fierce anger into them, and rain it upon them
as their
food. 24 They will flee from an iron weapon; a bronze arrow will strike them through. 25
It is
drawn forth and comes out of their body, and the glittering point comes out of their gall;
terrors
come upon them. 26 Utter darkness is laid up for their treasures; a fire fanned by no
one will
devour them; what is left in their tent will be consumed. 27 The heavens will reveal their
iniquity,
and the earth will rise up against them. 28 The possessions of their house will be
carried away,
dragged off in the day of God's wrath. 29 This is the portion of the wicked from God, the
heritage
decreed for them by God."

(Job 21) Then Job answered: 2 "Listen carefully to my words, and let this be your
consolation. 3 Bear with me, and I will speak; then after I have spoken, mock on. 4 As
for me, is
my complaint addressed to mortals? Why should I not be impatient? 5 Look at me, and
be
appalled, and lay your hand upon your mouth. 6 When I think of it I am dismayed, and
shuddering
seizes my flesh. 7 Why do the wicked live on, reach old age, and grow mighty in
power? 8 Their
children are established in their presence, and their offspring before their eyes. 9 Their
houses are
safe from fear, and no rod of God is upon them. 10 Their bull breeds without fail; their
cow calves
and never miscarries. 11 They send out their little ones like a flock, and their children
dance
around. 12 They sing to the tambourine and the lyre, and rejoice to the sound of the
pipe. 13 They
spend their days in prosperity, and in peace they go down to Sheol. 14 They say to
God, 'Leave us
alone! We do not desire to know your ways. 15 What is the Almighty, that we should
serve him?
And what profit do we get if we pray to him?' 16 Is not their prosperity indeed their own
achievement? The plans of the wicked are repugnant to me. 17 "How often is the lamp
of the
wicked put out? How often does calamity come upon them? How often does God
distribute pains
in his anger? 18 How often are they like straw before the wind, and like chaff that the
storm
carries away? 19 You say, 'God stores up their iniquity for their children.' Let it be paid
back to
them, so that they may know it. 20 Let their own eyes see their destruction, and let
them drink of
the wrath of the Almighty. 21 For what do they care for their household after them,
when the
number of their months is cut off? 22 Will any teach God knowledge, seeing that he
judges those
that are on high? 23 One dies in full prosperity, being wholly at ease and secure, 24 his
loins full
of milk and the marrow of his bones moist. 25 Another dies in bitterness of soul, never
having
tasted of good. 26 They lie down alike in the dust, and the worms cover them. 27 "Oh, I
know
your thoughts, and your schemes to wrong me. 28 For you say, 'Where is the house of
the prince?
Where is the tent in which the wicked lived?' 29 Have you not asked those who travel
the roads,
and do you not accept their testimony, 30 that the wicked are spared in the day of
calamity, and
are rescued in the day of wrath? 31 Who declares their way to their face, and who
repays them for
what they have done? 32 When they are carried to the grave, a watch is kept over their
tomb. 33
The clods of the valley are sweet to them; everyone will follow after, and those who
went before
are innumerable. 34 How then will you comfort me with empty nothings? There is
nothing left of
your answers but falsehood."

(Job 22) Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered: 2 "Can a mortal be of use to God?
Can even
the wisest be of service to him? 3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if you are righteous,
or is it
gain to him if you make your ways blameless? 4 Is it for your piety that he reproves
you, and
enters into judgment with you? 5 Is not your wickedness great? There is no end to your
iniquities.
6 For you have exacted pledges from your family for no reason, and stripped the naked
of their
clothing. 7 You have given no water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread
from the
hungry. 8 The powerful possess the land, and the favored live in it. 9 You have sent
widows away
empty-handed, and the arms of the orphans you have crushed. 10 Therefore snares
are around
you, and sudden terror overwhelms you, 11 or darkness so that you cannot see; a flood
of water
covers you. 12 "Is not God high in the heavens? See the highest stars, how lofty they
are! 13
Therefore you say, 'What does God know? Can he judge through the deep darkness?
14 Thick
clouds enwrap him, so that he does not see, and he walks on the dome of heaven.' 15
Will you
keep to the old way that the wicked have trod? 16 They were snatched away before
their time;
their foundation was washed away by a flood. 17 They said to God, 'Leave us alone,'
and 'What
can the Almighty do to us?' 18 Yet he filled their houses with good things-- but the
plans of the
wicked are repugnant to me. 19 The righteous see it and are glad; the innocent laugh
them to
scorn, 20 saying, 'Surely our adversaries are cut off, and what they left, the fire has
consumed.' 21
"Agree with God, and be at peace; in this way good will come to you. 22 Receive
instruction
from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart. 23 If you return to the Almighty, you
will be
restored, if you remove unrighteousness from your tents, 24 if you treat gold like dust,
and gold
of Ophir like the stones of the torrent-bed, 25 and if the Almighty is your gold and your
precious
silver, 26 then you will delight yourself in the Almighty, and lift up your face to God. 27
You will
pray to him, and he will hear you, and you will pay your vows. 28 You will decide on a
matter,
and it will be established for you, and light will shine on your ways. 29 When others are
humiliated, you say it is pride; for he saves the humble. 30 He will deliver even those
who are
guilty; they will escape because of the cleanness of your hands."

(Job 23) Then Job answered: 2 "Today also my complaint is bitter; his hand is
heavy despite
my groaning. 3 Oh, that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his
dwelling! 4
I would lay my case before him, and fill my mouth with arguments. 5 I would learn what
he would
answer me, and understand what he would say to me. 6 Would he contend with me in
the
greatness of his power? No; but he would give heed to me. 7 There an upright person
could
reason with him, and I should be acquitted forever by my judge. 8 "If I go forward, he is
not
there; or backward, I cannot perceive him; 9 on the left he hides, and I cannot behold
him; I turn
to the right, but I cannot see him. 10 But he knows the way that I take; when he has
tested me, I
shall come out like gold. 11 My foot has held fast to his steps; I have kept his way and
have not
turned aside. 12 I have not departed from the commandment of his lips; I have
treasured in my
bosom the words of his mouth. 13 But he stands alone and who can dissuade him?
What he
desires, that he does. 14 For he will complete what he appoints for me; and many such
things are
in his mind. 15 Therefore I am terrified at his presence; when I consider, I am in dread
of him. 16
God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me; 17 If only I could vanish in
darkness,
and thick darkness would cover my face!

(Job 24) "Why are times not kept by the Almighty, and why do those who know him
never
see his days? 2 The wicked remove landmarks; they seize flocks and pasture them. 3
They drive
away the donkey of the orphan; they take the widow's ox for a pledge. 4 They thrust the
needy off
the road; the poor of the earth all hide themselves. 5 Like wild asses in the desert they
go out to
their toil, scavenging in the wasteland food for their young. 6 They reap in a field not
their own
and they glean in the vineyard of the wicked. 7 They lie all night naked, without
clothing, and
have no covering in the cold. 8 They are wet with the rain of the mountains, and cling to
the rock
for want of shelter. 9 "There are those who snatch the orphan child from the breast, and
take as a
pledge the infant of the poor. 10 They go about naked, without clothing; though hungry,
they
carry the sheaves; 11 between their terraces they press out oil; they tread the wine
presses, but
suffer thirst. 12 From the city the dying groan, and the throat of the wounded cries for
help; yet
God pays no attention to their prayer. 13 "There are those who rebel against the light,
who are
not acquainted with its ways, and do not stay in its paths. 14 The murderer rises at
dusk to kill the
poor and needy, and in the night is like a thief. 15 The eye of the adulterer also waits
for the
twilight, saying, 'No eye will see me'; and he disguises his face. 16 In the dark they dig
through
houses; by day they shut themselves up; they do not know the light. 17 For deep
darkness is
morning to all of them; for they are friends with the terrors of deep darkness. 18 "Swift
are they
on the face of the waters; their portion in the land is cursed; no treader turns toward
their
vineyards. 19 Drought and heat snatch away the snow waters; so does Sheol those
who have
sinned. 20 The womb forgets them; the worm finds them sweet; they are no longer
remembered;
so wickedness is broken like a tree. 21 "They harm the childless woman, and do no
good to the
widow. 22 Yet God prolongs the life of the mighty by his power; they rise up when they
despair
of life. 23 He gives them security, and they are supported; his eyes are upon their
ways. 24 They
are exalted a little while, and then are gone; they wither and fade like the mallow; they
are cut off
like the heads of grain. 25 If it is not so, who will prove me a liar, and show that there is
nothing
in what I say?"

(Job 25) Then Bildad the Shuhite answered: 2 "Dominion and fear are with God;
he makes
peace in his high heaven. 3 Is there any number to his armies? Upon whom does his
light not
arise? 4 How then can a mortal be righteous before God? How can one born of woman
be pure? 5
If even the moon is not bright and the stars are not pure in his sight, 6 how much less a
mortal,
who is a maggot, and a human being, who is a worm!"

(Job 26) Then Job answered: 2 "How you have helped one who has no power!
How you
have assisted the arm that has no strength! 3 How you have counseled one who has
no wisdom,
and given much good advice! 4 With whose help have you uttered words, and whose
spirit has
come forth from you? 5 The shades below tremble, the waters and their inhabitants. 6
Sheol is
naked before God, and Abaddon has no covering. 7 He stretches out Zaphon over the
void, and
hangs the earth upon nothing. 8 He binds up the waters in his thick clouds, and the
cloud is not
torn open by them. 9 He covers the face of the full moon, and spreads over it his cloud.
10 He has
described a circle on the face of the waters, at the boundary between light and
darkness. 11 The
pillars of heaven tremble, and are astounded at his rebuke. 12 By his power he stilled
the Sea; by
his understanding he struck down Rahab. 13 By his wind the heavens were made fair;
his hand
pierced the fleeing serpent. 14 These are indeed but the outskirts of his ways; and how
small a
whisper do we hear of him! But the thunder of his power who can understand?"

(Job 27) Job again took up his discourse and said: 2 "As God lives, who has taken
away my
right, and the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter, 3 as long as my breath is in me
and the
spirit of God is in my nostrils, 4 my lips will not speak falsehood, and my tongue will not
utter
deceit. 5 Far be it from me to say that you are right; until I die I will not put away my
integrity
from me. 6 I hold fast my righteousness, and will not let it go; my heart does not
reproach me for
any of my days. 7 "May my enemy be like the wicked, and may my opponent be like the
unrighteous. 8 For what is the hope of the godless when God cuts them off, when God
takes
away their lives? 9 Will God hear their cry when trouble comes upon them? 10 Will
they take
delight in the Almighty? Will they call upon God at all times? 11 I will teach you
concerning the
hand of God; that which is with the Almighty I will not conceal. 12 All of you have seen
it
yourselves; why then have you become altogether vain? 13 "This is the portion of the
wicked with
God, and the heritage that oppressors receive from the Almighty: 14 If their children are
multiplied, it is for the sword; and their offspring have not enough to eat. 15 Those who
survive
them the pestilence buries, and their widows make no lamentation. 16 Though they
heap up silver
like dust, and pile up clothing like clay-- 17 they may pile it up, but the just will wear it,
and the
innocent will divide the silver. 18 They build their houses like nests, like booths made
by sentinels
of the vineyard. 19 They go to bed with wealth, but will do so no more; they open their
eyes, and
it is gone. 20 Terrors overtake them like a flood; in the night a whirlwind carries them
off. 21 The
east wind lifts them up and they are gone; it sweeps them out of their place. 22 It hurls
at them
without pity; they flee from its power in headlong flight. 23 It claps its hands at them,
and hisses
at them from its place.

(Job 28) "Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold to be refined. 2 Iron
is taken
out of the earth, and copper is smelted from ore. 3 Miners put an end to darkness, and
search out
to the farthest bound the ore in gloom and deep darkness. 4 They open shafts in a
valley away
from human habitation; they are forgotten by travelers, they sway suspended, remote
from people.
5 As for the earth, out of it comes bread; but underneath it is turned up as by fire. 6 Its
stones are
the place of sapphires, and its dust contains gold. 7 "That path no bird of prey knows,
and the
falcon's eye has not seen it. 8 The proud wild animals have not trodden it; the lion has
not passed
over it. 9 "They put their hand to the flinty rock, and overturn mountains by the roots. 10
They
cut out channels in the rocks, and their eyes see every precious thing. 11 The sources
of the rivers
they probe; hidden things they bring to light. 12 "But where shall wisdom be found? And
where is
the place of understanding? 13 Mortals do not know the way to it, and it is not found in
the land
of the living. 14 The deep says, 'It is not in me,' and the sea says, 'It is not with me.' 15
It cannot
be gotten for gold, and silver cannot be weighed out as its price. 16 It cannot be valued
in the
gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire. 17 Gold and glass cannot equal it, nor can
it be
exchanged for jewels of fine gold. 18 No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal;
the price of
wisdom is above pearls. 19 The chrysolite of Ethiopia cannot compare with it, nor can it
be
valued in pure gold. 20 "Where then does wisdom come from? And where is the place
of
understanding? 21 It is hidden from the eyes of all living, and concealed from the birds
of the air.
22 Abaddon and Death say, 'We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.' 23 "God
understands the
way to it, and he knows its place. 24 For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees
everything
under the heavens. 25 When he gave to the wind its weight, and apportioned out the
waters by
measure; 26 when he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the thunderbolt; 27
then he saw it
and declared it; he established it, and searched it out. 28 And he said to humankind,
'Truly, the
fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.'"

(Job 29) Job again took up his discourse and said: 2 "Oh, that I were as in the
months of old,
as in the days when God watched over me; 3 when his lamp shone over my head, and
by his light I
walked through darkness; 4 when I was in my prime, when the friendship of God was
upon my
tent; 5 when the Almighty was still with me, when my children were around me; 6 when
my steps
were washed with milk, and the rock poured out for me streams of oil! 7 When I went
out to the
gate of the city, when I took my seat in the square, 8 the young men saw me and
withdrew, and
the aged rose up and stood; 9 the nobles refrained from talking, and laid their hands on
their
mouths; 10 the voices of princes were hushed, and their tongues stuck to the roof of
their mouths.
11 When the ear heard, it commended me, and when the eye saw, it approved; 12
because I
delivered the poor who cried, and the orphan who had no helper. 13 The blessing of
the wretched
came upon me, and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy. 14 I put on
righteousness, and it
clothed me; my justice was like a robe and a turban. 15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet
to the
lame. 16 I was a father to the needy, and I championed the cause of the stranger. 17 I
broke the
fangs of the unrighteous, and made them drop their prey from their teeth. 18 Then I
thought, 'I
shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days like the phoenix; 19 my roots spread
out to the
waters, with the dew all night on my branches; 20 my glory was fresh with me, and my
bow ever
new in my hand.' 21 "They listened to me, and waited, and kept silence for my counsel.
22 After I
spoke they did not speak again, and my word dropped upon them like dew. 23 They
waited for
me as for the rain; they opened their mouths as for the spring rain. 24 I smiled on them
when they
had no confidence; and the light of my countenance they did not extinguish. 25 I chose
their way,
and sat as chief, and I lived like a king among his troops, like one who comforts
mourners.

(Job 30) "But now they make sport of me, those who are younger than I, whose
fathers I
would have disdained to set with the dogs of my flock. 2 What could I gain from the
strength of
their hands? All their vigor is gone. 3 Through want and hard hunger they gnaw the dry
and
desolate ground, 4 they pick mallow and the leaves of bushes, and to warm themselves
the roots
of broom. 5 They are driven out from society; people shout after them as after a thief. 6
In the
gullies of wadis they must live, in holes in the ground, and in the rocks. 7 Among the
bushes they
bray; under the nettles they huddle together. 8 A senseless, disreputable brood, they
have been
whipped out of the land. 9 "And now they mock me in song; I am a byword to them. 10
They
abhor me, they keep aloof from me; they do not hesitate to spit at the sight of me. 11
Because
God has loosed my bowstring and humbled me, they have cast off restraint in my
presence. 12 On
my right hand the rabble rise up; they send me sprawling, and build roads for my ruin.
13 They
break up my path, they promote my calamity; no one restrains them. 14 As through a
wide breach
they come; amid the crash they roll on. 15 Terrors are turned upon me; my honor is
pursued as by
the wind, and my prosperity has passed away like a cloud. 16 "And now my soul is
poured out
within me; days of affliction have taken hold of me. 17 The night racks my bones, and
the pain
that gnaws me takes no rest. 18 With violence he seizes my garment; he grasps me by
the collar of
my tunic. 19 He has cast me into the mire, and I have become like dust and ashes. 20 I
cry to you
and you do not answer me; I stand, and you merely look at me. 21 You have turned
cruel to me;
with the might of your hand you persecute me. 22 You lift me up on the wind, you make
me ride
on it, and you toss me about in the roar of the storm. 23 I know that you will bring me to
death,
and to the house appointed for all living. 24 "Surely one does not turn against the
needy, when in
disaster they cry for help. 25 Did I not weep for those whose day was hard? Was not
my soul
grieved for the poor? 26 But when I looked for good, evil came; and when I waited for
light,
darkness came. 27 My inward parts are in turmoil, and are never still; days of affliction
come to
meet me. 28 I go about in sunless gloom; I stand up in the assembly and cry for help.
29 I am a
brother of jackals, and a companion of ostriches. 30 My skin turns black and falls from
me, and
my bones burn with heat. 31 My lyre is turned to mourning, and my pipe to the voice of
those
who weep.

(Job 31) "I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I look upon a
virgin? 2
What would be my portion from God above, and my heritage from the Almighty on
high? 3 Does
not calamity befall the unrighteous, and disaster the workers of iniquity? 4 Does he not
see my
ways, and number all my steps? 5 "If I have walked with falsehood, and my foot has
hurried to
deceit-- 6 let me be weighed in a just balance, and let God know my integrity!-- 7 if my
step has
turned aside from the way, and my heart has followed my eyes, and if any spot has
clung to my
hands; 8 then let me sow, and another eat; and let what grows for me be rooted out. 9
"If my
heart has been enticed by a woman, and I have lain in wait at my neighbor's door; 10
then let my
wife grind for another, and let other men kneel over her. 11 For that would be a heinous
crime;
that would be a criminal offense; 12 for that would be a fire consuming down to
Abaddon, and it
would burn to the root all my harvest. 13 "If I have rejected the cause of my male or
female
slaves, when they brought a complaint against me; 14 what then shall I do when God
rises up?
When he makes inquiry, what shall I answer him? 15 Did not he who made me in the
womb make
them? And did not one fashion us in the womb? 16 "If I have withheld anything that the
poor
desired, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail, 17 or have eaten my morsel
alone, and the
orphan has not eaten from it-- 18 for from my youth I reared the orphan like a father,
and from
my mother's womb I guided the widow-- 19 if I have seen anyone perish for lack of
clothing, or a
poor person without covering, 20 whose loins have not blessed me, and who was not
warmed
with the fleece of my sheep; 21 if I have raised my hand against the orphan, because I
saw I had
supporters at the gate; 22 then let my shoulder blade fall from my shoulder, and let my
arm be
broken from its socket. 23 For I was in terror of calamity from God, and I could not have
faced
his majesty. 24 "If I have made gold my trust, or called fine gold my confidence; 25 if I
have
rejoiced because my wealth was great, or because my hand had gotten much; 26 if I
have looked
at the sun when it shone, or the moon moving in splendor, 27 and my heart has been
secretly
enticed, and my mouth has kissed my hand; 28 this also would be an iniquity to be
punished by the
judges, for I should have been false to God above. 29 "If I have rejoiced at the ruin of
those who
hated me, or exulted when evil overtook them-- 30 I have not let my mouth sin by
asking for their
lives with a curse-- 31 if those of my tent ever said, 'O that we might be sated with his
flesh!'-- 32
the stranger has not lodged in the street; I have opened my doors to the traveler-- 33 if
I have
concealed my transgressions as others do, by hiding my iniquity in my bosom, 34
because I stood
in great fear of the multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me, so that I kept
silence, and
did not go out of doors-- 35 Oh, that I had one to hear me! (Here is my signature! let
the
Almighty answer me!) Oh, that I had the indictment written by my adversary! 36 Surely I
would
carry it on my shoulder; I would bind it on me like a crown; 37 I would give him an
account of all
my steps; like a prince I would approach him. 38 "If my land has cried out against me,
and its
furrows have wept together; 39 if I have eaten its yield without payment, and caused
the death of
its owners; 40 let thorns grow instead of wheat, and foul weeds instead of barley." The
words of
Job are ended.

(Job 32) So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in
his own eyes.
2 Then Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became angry. He was
angry at
Job because he justified himself rather than God; 3 he was angry also at Job's three
friends
because they had found no answer, though they had declared Job to be in the wrong. 4
Now Elihu
had waited to speak to Job, because they were older than he. 5 But when Elihu saw
that there was
no answer in the mouths of these three men, he became angry. 6 Elihu son of Barachel
the Buzite
answered: "I am young in years, and you are aged; therefore I was timid and afraid to
declare my
opinion to you. 7 I said, 'Let days speak, and many years teach wisdom.' 8 But truly it is
the spirit
in a mortal, the breath of the Almighty, that makes for understanding. 9 It is not the old
that are
wise, nor the aged that understand what is right. 10 Therefore I say, 'Listen to me; let
me also
declare my opinion.' 11 "See, I waited for your words, I listened for your wise sayings,
while you
searched out what to say. 12 I gave you my attention, but there was in fact no one that
confuted
Job, no one among you that answered his words. 13 Yet do not say, 'We have found
wisdom;
God may vanquish him, not a human.' 14 He has not directed his words against me,
and I will not
answer him with your speeches. 15 "They are dismayed, they answer no more; they
have not a
word to say. 16 And am I to wait, because they do not speak, because they stand there,
and
answer no more? 17 I also will give my answer; I also will declare my opinion. 18 For I
am full of
words; the spirit within me constrains me. 19 My heart is indeed like wine that has no
vent; like
new wineskins, it is ready to burst. 20 I must speak, so that I may find relief; I must
open my lips
and answer. 21 I will not show partiality to any person or use flattery toward anyone. 22
For I do
not know how to flatter-- or my Maker would soon put an end to me!

(Job 33) "But now, hear my speech, O Job, and listen to all my words. 2 See, I
open my
mouth; the tongue in my mouth speaks. 3 My words declare the uprightness of my
heart, and
what my lips know they speak sincerely. 4 The spirit of God has made me, and the
breath of the
Almighty gives me life. 5 Answer me, if you can; set your words in order before me; take
your
stand. 6 See, before God I am as you are; I too was formed from a piece of clay. 7 No
fear of me
need terrify you; my pressure will not be heavy on you. 8 "Surely, you have spoken in
my hearing,
and I have heard the sound of your words. 9 You say, 'I am clean, without
transgression; I am
pure, and there is no iniquity in me. 10 Look, he finds occasions against me, he counts
me as his
enemy; 11 he puts my feet in the stocks, and watches all my paths.' 12 "But in this you
are not
right. I will answer you: God is greater than any mortal. 13 Why do you contend against
him,
saying, 'He will answer none of my words'? 14 For God speaks in one way, and in two,
though
people do not perceive it. 15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls
on mortals,
while they slumber on their beds, 16 then he opens their ears, and terrifies them with
warnings, 17
that he may turn them aside from their deeds, and keep them from pride, 18 to spare
their souls
from the Pit, their lives from traversing the River. 19 They are also chastened with pain
upon their
beds, and with continual strife in their bones, 20 so that their lives loathe bread, and
their appetites
dainty food. 21 Their flesh is so wasted away that it cannot be seen; and their bones,
once
invisible, now stick out. 22 Their souls draw near the Pit, and their lives to those who
bring death.
23 Then, if there should be for one of them an angel, a mediator, one of a thousand,
one who
declares a person upright, 24 and he is gracious to that person, and says, 'Deliver him
from going
down into the Pit; I have found a ransom; 25 let his flesh become fresh with youth; let
him return
to the days of his youthful vigor.' 26 Then he prays to God, and is accepted by him, he
comes into
his presence with joy, and God repays him for his righteousness. 27 That person sings
to others
and says, 'I sinned, and perverted what was right, and it was not paid back to me. 28
He has
redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit, and my life shall see the light.' 29 "God
indeed
does all these things, twice, three times, with mortals, 30 to bring back their souls from
the Pit, so
that they may see the light of life. 31 Pay heed, Job, listen to me; be silent, and I will
speak. 32 If
you have anything to say, answer me; speak, for I desire to justify you. 33 If not, listen
to me; be
silent, and I will teach you wisdom."

(Job 34) Then Elihu continued and said: 2 "Hear my words, you wise men, and
give ear to
me, you who know; 3 for the ear tests words as the palate tastes food. 4 Let us choose
what is
right; let us determine among ourselves what is good. 5 For Job has said, 'I am
innocent, and God
has taken away my right; 6 in spite of being right I am counted a liar; my wound is
incurable,
though I am without transgression.' 7 Who is there like Job, who drinks up scoffing like
water, 8
who goes in company with evildoers and walks with the wicked? 9 For he has said, 'It
profits one
nothing to take delight in God.' 10 "Therefore, hear me, you who have sense, far be it
from God
that he should do wickedness, and from the Almighty that he should do wrong. 11 For
according
to their deeds he will repay them, and according to their ways he will make it befall
them. 12 Of a
truth, God will not do wickedly, and the Almighty will not pervert justice. 13 Who gave
him
charge over the earth and who laid on him the whole world? 14 If he should take back
his spirit to
himself, and gather to himself his breath, 15 all flesh would perish together, and all
mortals return
to dust. 16 "If you have understanding, hear this; listen to what I say. 17 Shall one who
hates
justice govern? Will you condemn one who is righteous and mighty, 18 who says to a
king, 'You
scoundrel!' and to princes, 'You wicked men!'; 19 who shows no partiality to nobles, nor
regards
the rich more than the poor, for they are all the work of his hands? 20 In a moment they
die; at
midnight the people are shaken and pass away, and the mighty are taken away by no
human hand.
21 "For his eyes are upon the ways of mortals, and he sees all their steps. 22 There is
no gloom or
deep darkness where evildoers may hide themselves. 23 For he has not appointed a
time for
anyone to go before God in judgment. 24 He shatters the mighty without investigation,
and sets
others in their place. 25 Thus, knowing their works, he overturns them in the night, and
they are
crushed. 26 He strikes them for their wickedness while others look on, 27 because they
turned
aside from following him, and had no regard for any of his ways, 28 so that they caused
the cry of
the poor to come to him, and he heard the cry of the afflicted-- 29 When he is quiet,
who can
condemn? When he hides his face, who can behold him, whether it be a nation or an
individual?--
30 so that the godless should not reign, or those who ensnare the people. 31 "For has
anyone said
to God, 'I have endured punishment; I will not offend any more; 32 teach me what I do
not see; if
I have done iniquity, I will do it no more'? 33 Will he then pay back to suit you, because
you
reject it? For you must choose, and not I; therefore declare what you know. 34 Those
who have
sense will say to me, and the wise who hear me will say, 35 'Job speaks without
knowledge, his
words are without insight.' 36 Would that Job were tried to the limit, because his
answers are
those of the wicked. 37 For he adds rebellion to his sin; he claps his hands among us,
and
multiplies his words against God."

(Job 35) Elihu continued and said: 2 "Do you think this to be just? You say, 'I am in
the right
before God.' 3 If you ask, 'What advantage have I? How am I better off than if I had
sinned?' 4 I
will answer you and your friends with you. 5 Look at the heavens and see; observe the
clouds,
which are higher than you. 6 If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against him?
And if your
transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to him? 7 If you are righteous, what do
you give to
him; or what does he receive from your hand? 8 Your wickedness affects others like
you, and
your righteousness, other human beings. 9 "Because of the multitude of oppressions
people cry
out; they call for help because of the arm of the mighty. 10 But no one says, 'Where is
God my
Maker, who gives strength in the night, 11 who teaches us more than the animals of the
earth, and
makes us wiser than the birds of the air?' 12 There they cry out, but he does not
answer, because
of the pride of evildoers. 13 Surely God does not hear an empty cry, nor does the
Almighty regard
it. 14 How much less when you say that you do not see him, that the case is before him,
and you
are waiting for him! 15 And now, because his anger does not punish, and he does not
greatly heed
transgression, 16 Job opens his mouth in empty talk, he multiplies words without
knowledge."

(Job 36) Elihu continued and said: 2 "Bear with me a little, and I will show you, for I
have
yet something to say on God's behalf. 3 I will bring my knowledge from far away, and
ascribe
righteousness to my Maker. 4 For truly my words are not false; one who is perfect in
knowledge
is with you. 5 "Surely God is mighty and does not despise any; he is mighty in strength
of
understanding. 6 He does not keep the wicked alive, but gives the afflicted their right. 7
He does
not withdraw his eyes from the righteous, but with kings on the throne he sets them
forever, and
they are exalted. 8 And if they are bound in fetters and caught in the cords of affliction,
9 then he
declares to them their work and their transgressions, that they are behaving arrogantly.
10 He
opens their ears to instruction, and commands that they return from iniquity. 11 If they
listen, and
serve him, they complete their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasantness. 12
But if they do
not listen, they shall perish by the sword, and die without knowledge. 13 "The godless
in heart
cherish anger; they do not cry for help when he binds them. 14 They die in their youth,
and their
life ends in shame. 15 He delivers the afflicted by their affliction, and opens their ear by
adversity.
16 He also allured you out of distress into a broad place where there was no constraint,
and what
was set on your table was full of fatness. 17 "But you are obsessed with the case of the
wicked;
judgment and justice seize you. 18 Beware that wrath does not entice you into scoffing,
and do
not let the greatness of the ransom turn you aside. 19 Will your cry avail to keep you
from
distress, or will all the force of your strength? 20 Do not long for the night, when
peoples are cut
off in their place. 21 Beware! Do not turn to iniquity; because of that you have been
tried by
affliction. 22 See, God is exalted in his power; who is a teacher like him? 23 Who has
prescribed
for him his way, or who can say, 'You have done wrong'? 24 "Remember to extol his
work, of
which mortals have sung. 25 All people have looked on it; everyone watches it from far
away. 26
Surely God is great, and we do not know him; the number of his years is unsearchable.
27 For he
draws up the drops of water; he distills his mist in rain, 28 which the skies pour down
and drop
upon mortals abundantly. 29 Can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds, the
thunderings
of his pavilion? 30 See, he scatters his lightning around him and covers the roots of the
sea. 31
For by these he governs peoples; he gives food in abundance. 32 He covers his hands
with the
lightning, and commands it to strike the mark. 33 Its crashing tells about him; he is
jealous with
anger against iniquity.

(Job 37) "At this also my heart trembles, and leaps out of its place. 2 Listen, listen
to the
thunder of his voice and the rumbling that comes from his mouth. 3 Under the whole
heaven he
lets it loose, and his lightning to the corners of the earth. 4 After it his voice roars; he
thunders
with his majestic voice and he does not restrain the lightnings when his voice is heard.
5 God
thunders wondrously with his voice; he does great things that we cannot comprehend.
6 For to
the snow he says, 'Fall on the earth'; and the shower of rain, his heavy shower of rain,
7 serves as
a sign on everyone's hand, so that all whom he has made may know it. 8 Then the
animals go into
their lairs and remain in their dens. 9 From its chamber comes the whirlwind, and cold
from the
scattering winds. 10 By the breath of God ice is given, and the broad waters are frozen
fast. 11
He loads the thick cloud with moisture; the clouds scatter his lightning. 12 They turn
round and
round by his guidance, to accomplish all that he commands them on the face of the
habitable
world. 13 Whether for correction, or for his land, or for love, he causes it to happen. 14
"Hear
this, O Job; stop and consider the wondrous works of God. 15 Do you know how God
lays his
command upon them, and causes the lightning of his cloud to shine? 16 Do you know
the
balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of the one whose knowledge is perfect,
17 you
whose garments are hot when the earth is still because of the south wind? 18 Can you,
like him,
spread out the skies, hard as a molten mirror? 19 Teach us what we shall say to him;
we cannot
draw up our case because of darkness. 20 Should he be told that I want to speak? Did
anyone
ever wish to be swallowed up? 21 Now, no one can look on the light when it is bright in
the skies,
when the wind has passed and cleared them. 22 Out of the north comes golden
splendor; around
God is awesome majesty. 23 The Almighty--we cannot find him; he is great in power
and justice,
and abundant righteousness he will not violate. 24 Therefore mortals fear him; he does
not regard
any who are wise in their own conceit."

(Job 38) Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind: 2 "Who is this that
darkens
counsel by words without knowledge? 3 Gird up your loins like a man, I will question
you, and
you shall declare to me. 4 "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if
you have understanding. 5 Who determined its measurements--surely you know! Or
who
stretched the line upon it? 6 On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone 7
when the
morning stars sang together and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy? 8 "Or who
shut in the sea
with doors when it burst out from the womb?-- 9 when I made the clouds its garment,
and thick
darkness its swaddling band, 10 and prescribed bounds for it, and set bars and doors,
11 and said,
'Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stopped'?
12 "Have
you commanded the morning since your days began, and caused the dawn to know its
place, 13
so that it might take hold of the skirts of the earth, and the wicked be shaken out of it?
14 It is
changed like clay under the seal, and it is dyed like a garment. 15 Light is withheld from
the
wicked, and their uplifted arm is broken. 16 "Have you entered into the springs of the
sea, or
walked in the recesses of the deep? 17 Have the gates of death been revealed to you,
or have you
seen the gates of deep darkness? 18 Have you comprehended the expanse of the
earth? Declare, if
you know all this. 19 "Where is the way to the dwelling of light, and where is the place
of
darkness, 20 that you may take it to its territory and that you may discern the paths to
its home?
21 Surely you know, for you were born then, and the number of your days is great! 22
"Have you
entered the storehouses of the snow, or have you seen the storehouses of the hail, 23
which I have
reserved for the time of trouble, for the day of battle and war? 24 What is the way to the
place
where the light is distributed, or where the east wind is scattered upon the earth? 25
"Who has cut
a channel for the torrents of rain, and a way for the thunderbolt, 26 to bring rain on a
land where
no one lives, on the desert, which is empty of human life, 27 to satisfy the waste and
desolate
land, and to make the ground put forth grass? 28 "Has the rain a father, or who has
begotten the
drops of dew? 29 From whose womb did the ice come forth, and who has given birth to
the
hoarfrost of heaven? 30 The waters become hard like stone, and the face of the deep is
frozen. 31
"Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades, or loose the cords of Orion? 32 Can you lead
forth the
Mazzaroth in their season, or can you guide the Bear with its children? 33 Do you know
the
ordinances of the heavens? Can you establish their rule on the earth? 34 "Can you lift
up your
voice to the clouds, so that a flood of waters may cover you? 35 Can you send forth
lightnings, so
that they may go and say to you, 'Here we are'? 36 Who has put wisdom in the inward
parts, or
given understanding to the mind? 37 Who has the wisdom to number the clouds? Or
who can tilt
the waterskins of the heavens, 38 when the dust runs into a mass and the clods cling
together? 39
"Can you hunt the prey for the lion, or satisfy the appetite of the young lions, 40 when
they
crouch in their dens, or lie in wait in their covert? 41 Who provides for the raven its
prey, when its
young ones cry to God, and wander about for lack of food?

(Job 39) "Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you observe the
calving of
the deer? 2 Can you number the months that they fulfill, and do you know the time
when they
give birth, 3 when they crouch to give birth to their offspring, and are delivered of their
young? 4
Their young ones become strong, they grow up in the open; they go forth, and do not
return to
them. 5 "Who has let the wild ass go free? Who has loosed the bonds of the swift ass,
6 to which I
have given the steppe for its home, the salt land for its dwelling place? 7 It scorns the
tumult of
the city; it does not hear the shouts of the driver. 8 It ranges the mountains as its
pasture, and it
searches after every green thing. 9 "Is the wild ox willing to serve you? Will it spend the
night at
your crib? 10 Can you tie it in the furrow with ropes, or will it harrow the valleys after
you? 11
Will you depend on it because its strength is great, and will you hand over your labor to
it? 12 Do
you have faith in it that it will return, and bring your grain to your threshing floor? 13
"The
ostrich's wings flap wildly, though its pinions lack plumage. 14 For it leaves its eggs to
the earth,
and lets them be warmed on the ground, 15 forgetting that a foot may crush them, and
that a wild
animal may trample them. 16 It deals cruelly with its young, as if they were not its own;
though its
labor should be in vain, yet it has no fear; 17 because God has made it forget wisdom,
and given it
no share in understanding. 18 When it spreads its plumes aloft, it laughs at the horse
and its rider.
19 "Do you give the horse its might? Do you clothe its neck with mane? 20 Do you
make it leap
like the locust? Its majestic snorting is terrible. 21 It paws violently, exults mightily; it
goes out to
meet the weapons. 22 It laughs at fear, and is not dismayed; it does not turn back from
the sword.
23 Upon it rattle the quiver, the flashing spear, and the javelin. 24 With fierceness and
rage it
swallows the ground; it cannot stand still at the sound of the trumpet. 25 When the
trumpet
sounds, it says 'Aha!' From a distance it smells the battle, the thunder of the captains,
and the
shouting. 26 "Is it by your wisdom that the hawk soars, and spreads its wings toward
the south?
27 Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up and makes its nest on high? 28 It
lives on the
rock and makes its home in the fastness of the rocky crag. 29 From there it spies the
prey; its eyes
see it from far away. 30 Its young ones suck up blood; and where the slain are, there it
is."

(Job 40) And the LORD said to Job: 2 "Shall a faultfinder contend with the
Almighty?
Anyone who argues with God must respond." 3 Then Job answered the LORD: 4 "See,
I am of
small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth. 5 I have spoken
once, and I
will not answer; twice, but will proceed no further." 6 Then the LORD answered Job out
of the
whirlwind: 7 "Gird up your loins like a man; I will question you, and you declare to me. 8
Will
you even put me in the wrong? Will you condemn me that you may be justified? 9 Have
you an
arm like God, and can you thunder with a voice like his? 10 "Deck yourself with majesty
and
dignity; clothe yourself with glory and splendor. 11 Pour out the overflowings of your
anger, and
look on all who are proud, and abase them. 12 Look on all who are proud, and bring
them low;
tread down the wicked where they stand. 13 Hide them all in the dust together; bind
their faces in
the world below. 14 Then I will also acknowledge to you that your own right hand can
give you
victory. 15 "Look at Behemoth, which I made just as I made you; it eats grass like an ox.
16 Its
strength is in its loins, and its power in the muscles of its belly. 17 It makes its tail stiff
like a
cedar; the sinews of its thighs are knit together. 18 Its bones are tubes of bronze, its
limbs like
bars of iron. 19 "It is the first of the great acts of God-- only its Maker can approach it
with the
sword. 20 For the mountains yield food for it where all the wild animals play. 21 Under
the lotus
plants it lies, in the covert of the reeds and in the marsh. 22 The lotus trees cover it for
shade; the
willows of the wadi surround it. 23 Even if the river is turbulent, it is not frightened; it is
confident
though Jordan rushes against its mouth. 24 Can one take it with hooks or pierce its
nose with a
snare?

(Job 41) "Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook, or press down its tongue
with a
cord? 2 Can you put a rope in its nose, or pierce its jaw with a hook? 3 Will it make
many
supplications to you? Will it speak soft words to you? 4 Will it make a covenant with
you to be
taken as your servant forever? 5 Will you play with it as with a bird, or will you put it on
leash for
your girls? 6 Will traders bargain over it? Will they divide it up among the merchants? 7
Can you
fill its skin with harpoons, or its head with fishing spears? 8 Lay hands on it; think of the
battle;
you will not do it again! 9 Any hope of capturing it will be disappointed; were not even
the gods
overwhelmed at the sight of it? 10 No one is so fierce as to dare to stir it up. Who can
stand
before it? 11 Who can confront it and be safe? --under the whole heaven, who? 12 "I
will not
keep silence concerning its limbs, or its mighty strength, or its splendid frame. 13 Who
can strip
off its outer garment? Who can penetrate its double coat of mail? 14 Who can open the
doors of
its face? There is terror all around its teeth. 15 Its back is made of shields in rows, shut
up closely
as with a seal. 16 One is so near to another that no air can come between them. 17
They are
joined one to another; they clasp each other and cannot be separated. 18 Its sneezes
flash forth
light, and its eyes are like the eyelids of the dawn. 19 From its mouth go flaming
torches; sparks
of fire leap out. 20 Out of its nostrils comes smoke, as from a boiling pot and burning
rushes. 21
Its breath kindles coals, and a flame comes out of its mouth. 22 In its neck abides
strength, and
terror dances before it. 23 The folds of its flesh cling together; it is firmly cast and
immovable. 24
Its heart is as hard as stone, as hard as the lower millstone. 25 When it raises itself up
the gods are
afraid; at the crashing they are beside themselves. 26 Though the sword reaches it, it
does not
avail, nor does the spear, the dart, or the javelin. 27 It counts iron as straw, and bronze
as rotten
wood. 28 The arrow cannot make it flee; slingstones, for it, are turned to chaff. 29
Clubs are
counted as chaff; it laughs at the rattle of javelins. 30 Its underparts are like sharp
potsherds; it
spreads itself like a threshing sledge on the mire. 31 It makes the deep boil like a pot; it
makes the
sea like a pot of ointment. 32 It leaves a shining wake behind it; one would think the
deep to be
white-haired. 33 On earth it has no equal, a creature without fear. 34 It surveys
everything that is
lofty; it is king over all that are proud."

(Job 42) Then Job answered the LORD: 2 "I know that you can do all things, and
that no
purpose of yours can be thwarted. 3 'Who is this that hides counsel without
knowledge?'
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I
did not
know. 4 'Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you declare to me.' 5 I had
heard of you
by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; 6 therefore I despise myself, and
repent in
dust and ashes." 7 After the LORD had spoken these words to Job, the LORD said to
Eliphaz the
Temanite: "My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends; for you have
not
spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. 8 Now therefore take seven bulls
and seven
rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my
servant Job
shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your
folly; for you
have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has done." 9 So Eliphaz the
Temanite and
Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did what the LORD had told
them; and
the LORD accepted Job's prayer. 10 And the LORD restored the fortunes of Job when
he had
prayed for his friends; and the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. 11
Then there
came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and they
ate bread
with him in his house; they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that
the
LORD had brought upon him; and each of them gave him a piece of money and a gold
ring. 12
The LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; and he had fourteen
thousand
sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand donkeys. 13 He
also had
seven sons and three daughters. 14 He named the first Jemimah, the second Keziah,
and the third
Keren-happuch. 15 In all the land there were no women so beautiful as Job's
daughters; and their
father gave them an inheritance along with their brothers. 16 After this Job lived one
hundred and
forty years, and saw his children, and his children's children, four generations. 17 And
Job died,
old and full of days.